Below are most of the types of assignments you will be completing in this class, along with guidelines for how they should be completed:
1. 2-Column Notes (chapter opening pages):
You will complete 2-column notes for the chapter opening page at the start of each chapter. These notes should include:
the page # and title of the chapter
a right column broken up into 2-4 main ideas with supporting details
a left column that focuses heavily on connections & comments - connect to what you already know about what is contained in the coming chapter, connect to what you have learned prior to the upcoming information, and comment on the history involved with your opinions and analysis
a 2-4 sentence summary
2. Key Terms & Notes as you read:
As you read the text you should identify the most important pieces of information and create notes based on them. These notes must be in your words* and should include:
key terms such as important people, events, documents, artwork, phrases, concepts, data, etc.
the page number each entry has come from.
any questions, comments, or connections that pop up as you read.
*To ensure that notes are taken in your words you must develop the skill of paraphrasing. To do this it is important that you write after you have read, not while reading. My suggestion is that you read about 2-4 paragraphs at a time and then decide what to write down, if anything. The headings in the book also present great guidelines for chunking the reading and for help with key concepts. You may also want to try reading all of the pages assigned and then skimming back through the reading to decide what to write.
3. Chapter Questions:
The answers to chapter questions must be written in paragraph form unless otherwise stated and should include:
a good general topic sentence
factual evidence including key terms and data when appropriate
analysis
4. Data Collection
As you read you should include some data in your notes - key numbers that show something of importance (for example the numbers of soldiers on each side of a war or the drop in death rate that increases due to a new vaccine), but we will also take time to go through the text and only collect pieces of data (often as a way of previewing a chapter). When you record key pieces of date, you should add a note of analysis about what the data proves or shows. Lastly, data should be used to support arguments made in chapter question answers, class discussions, or essays.
5. Where Historians Disagree
When assigned a WHD you should read the assigned passage of the text and as you read bullet paraphrased summations of the differing historical viewpoints on the topic presented. Finish your WHD work by presenting about 3-4 sentences of your opinion: is there one historian you agree with? Is your view a combination of 2 or 3 of the viewpoints? Do you have a viewpoint that is not presented in the passage?
6. Patterns of Popular Culture
When assigned a PPC you should add notes from the PPC to your regular chapter key term notes. Often the PPCs include items related to works of art or literature and the specific works should be added to your ongoing, yearlong list of those items.
7. Top Ten Key Terms
At the end of each chapter you will create a top ten list of the ten most important terms or concepts from the chapter. You should try to prioritize this list from the most important to the tenth most important, but do not spend too much time worrying about slight differences in importance. The key to this assignment is to really think about what is important to know about a topic or time period. The list should include the ten terms and a brief description of the importance of each.
8. Document Based Essay
The document based essay question is a key component of the AP course. You will answer a DBQ on the AP Exam in the spring and the skills of being able to understand and analyze various documents and of being able to incorporate references to those documents into a coherent, impressive essay are extremely valuable in future academic and work endeavors.
Here is a guide to answering a DBQ:
1. 2-Column Notes (chapter opening pages):
You will complete 2-column notes for the chapter opening page at the start of each chapter. These notes should include:
2. Key Terms & Notes as you read:
As you read the text you should identify the most important pieces of information and create notes based on them. These notes must be in your words* and should include:
*To ensure that notes are taken in your words you must develop the skill of paraphrasing. To do this it is important that you write after you have read, not while reading. My suggestion is that you read about 2-4 paragraphs at a time and then decide what to write down, if anything. The headings in the book also present great guidelines for chunking the reading and for help with key concepts. You may also want to try reading all of the pages assigned and then skimming back through the reading to decide what to write.
3. Chapter Questions:
The answers to chapter questions must be written in paragraph form unless otherwise stated and should include:
4. Data Collection
As you read you should include some data in your notes - key numbers that show something of importance (for example the numbers of soldiers on each side of a war or the drop in death rate that increases due to a new vaccine), but we will also take time to go through the text and only collect pieces of data (often as a way of previewing a chapter). When you record key pieces of date, you should add a note of analysis about what the data proves or shows. Lastly, data should be used to support arguments made in chapter question answers, class discussions, or essays.
5. Where Historians Disagree
When assigned a WHD you should read the assigned passage of the text and as you read bullet paraphrased summations of the differing historical viewpoints on the topic presented. Finish your WHD work by presenting about 3-4 sentences of your opinion: is there one historian you agree with? Is your view a combination of 2 or 3 of the viewpoints? Do you have a viewpoint that is not presented in the passage?
6. Patterns of Popular Culture
When assigned a PPC you should add notes from the PPC to your regular chapter key term notes. Often the PPCs include items related to works of art or literature and the specific works should be added to your ongoing, yearlong list of those items.
7. Top Ten Key Terms
At the end of each chapter you will create a top ten list of the ten most important terms or concepts from the chapter. You should try to prioritize this list from the most important to the tenth most important, but do not spend too much time worrying about slight differences in importance. The key to this assignment is to really think about what is important to know about a topic or time period. The list should include the ten terms and a brief description of the importance of each.
8. Document Based Essay
The document based essay question is a key component of the AP course. You will answer a DBQ on the AP Exam in the spring and the skills of being able to understand and analyze various documents and of being able to incorporate references to those documents into a coherent, impressive essay are extremely valuable in future academic and work endeavors.
Here is a guide to answering a DBQ:
9. Essay Writing - see the essay writing page